Hamilton Tiger-Cats co-captain Angelo MoscaJames Fish/The Globe and Mail
The man who epitomized toughness and tenacity with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats is a huge fan of the club's staunch defence.
On Thursday night, the Ticats will retire Angelo Mosca's No. 68, making him only the second player in franchise history to receive the honour.
The other is legendary quarterback Bernie Faloney, whose No. 10 was retired in 1999.
Mosca was a defensive tackle with Hamilton in 1958-59 and from 1963 until retiring after leading the Ticats to the '72 Grey Cup title.
Mosca appeared in nine Grey Cup games, sharing the CFL record for most appearances, winning five.
Mosca says he admires the Ticats' rugged defence, which is regarded as one of the CFL's best this season.
Mosca, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in February, also played for Ottawa and Montreal during his CFL career and went on to become a popular wrestler following his retirement from football.
Mosca was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
The 78-year-old Mosca made headlines back in 2011 when he and legendary Lions quarterback Joe Kapp got into a brawl during a Grey Cup week event in Vancouver. The video clip of the two brawling went viral, becoming a talking point on the NFL's "Monday Night Football" pre-game show.